Need better display and ? vs Aqualung i300

[poifromthebag]

I have an Aqualung i300 and used it less than a dozen times. I'm lucky to get a 2 tank dive trip once a year. I'm thinking about upgrading already because:
- my old fart 49+ eyes can't read the display in low light, and the indiglo somehow makes it even harder to read. I can read the numbers, but not the tiny labels (I put bifocal glue on lenses in my mask and that helps a little)
- learned the hard way because of bad Monterey 4' vis
- a dive buddy had a Shearwater and I could see the lit LCD so much better
- the clear plastic shield starts getting scuffed with wear and makes visibility even worse
- I put in a new battery, used it for one 4 tank weekend, then again 2 months later for a 2 tank dive and at the end of the last day it was giving me the low battery warning. Is this typical? This seems really short.
- wondering if I should get one with bluetooth to pull the logs... this one loses all data once the battery dies (which seems to be frequent)
- wondering if it's worth have a compass

 

[Centrals]

Simple analogue compass.

 

[Seaweed Doc]

Quick thoughts on the computer:

1. Aqualung has a new i330R that'll solve a lot of your issues:
-It's got a bright, multicolor display like the Shearwater but at a fraction of the price.
-It does have Bluetooth built in.
-It's probably just an app issue, but the Aqualung software will use GPS on your phone to log the
location. The Shearwater app doesn't seem to do this. (If I'm wrong, I'd love to know how to do it.)
-The battery dying shouldn't cause you to lose data. I've got an i300c and never had this happen.
-However, it won't matter with the i330R: It's rechargeable. (Those stupid little batteries in the i300
and i300c are bad out of the box too often. My LDS dates them when they put them in and if they
come back too soon they yell at the battery supplier and return them, replacing mine for free.)

2. Go analog on the compass. I've never used the one on my Shearwater.

3. I've got 55 year old eyes. It doesn't get any better, young feller.

4. I love my Shearwater and would chuck the Aqualung if you told me I could only have one computer. But the pricepoint is such that for you I think the Aqualung is probably sufficient.

 

[jimmyt]

perfect thread.. I am in the same boat.. have the i300c and suffer from css.. cant see sh.. really like the i300c except for the screen,, i am assuming the 330r is very similar in operation?

edit: well crap I see they were recalled.. any update if it has been addressed?

 

[Joel S.]

perfect thread.. I am in the same boat.. have the i300c and suffer from css.. cant see sh.. really like the i300c except for the screen,, i am assuming the 330r is very similar in operation?

edit: well crap I see they were recalled.. any update if it has been addressed?

the 330r was recalled ??
we had them in our hands Saturday, but went with 2 shearwater peregrine instead.
(I have never used a dive computer before in about 35 dives with sandals , but it felt like a good time before our next trip.)

 

[jimmyt]

sounds like there was a seal problem. how do you like the peregrine? I have it down to those two. leaning towards the 330r since it uses diverlog+ which is what I am used to. how is the software and app? nice thing with diverlog is that you can plan the dive on the app then upload it to the computer

 

[Belzelbub]

sounds like there was a seal problem. how do you like the peregrine? I have it down to those two. leaning towards the 330r since it uses diverlog+ which is what I am used to. how is the software and app? nice thing with diverlog is that you can plan the dive on the app then upload it to the computer

The Shearwater app is just OK. I’ve used Diverlog+ with Oceanic computers, so I’m familiar with it. I do primary logging with Subsurface, but do backups with Shearwater Cloud. Plus I use SW cloud to update firmware on my Perdix AI

If you decide to go with the Peregrine, you should look at something like Subsurface, DivingLog, MacDive, or something else with support for both. Otherwise your log will be in two apps. It’s easy enough to transfer the history from DiverLog+ to one of the other logs, though.

 

[jimmyt]

how is the peregrine on charging... I see it uses Qi - how long does a charge take? Qi is painfully slow.. and does it magnetically lock on the charging pad or does it just lay there like a phone and can be moved easily? I can see a scenario where you hook up the charger to a portable battery and top it off between dives on the boat.. but id we worried that it would slide off the charger.

 

[Seaweed Doc]

The i330R had problems back in June or July, as I (*ahem*) recall. I'm pretty sure it's been fixed. No issues with the one I've been using since early October.

 

[Nemrod]

how is the peregrine on charging... I see it uses Qi - how long does a charge take? Qi is painfully slow.. and does it magnetically lock on the charging pad or does it just lay there like a phone and can be moved easily? I can see a scenario where you hook up the charger to a portable battery and top it off between dives on the boat.. but id we worried that it would slide off the charger.

It just sits on the charger. You can use any Qi charger. The Peregrine is a superior product and will run several days between charges. It charges up quickly enough considering it will not need a charge that often and I just top it off at night while asleep. I just charged mine before storing away. It was at 50% and took about 30 minutes or so.

Put a rubber band over it if you want to lock it to the charger. The charger is not water or weather proof.

James